The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is a data controller in terms of the Data Protection Act. We collect process and store a wide range of information, including personal information to deliver our services efficiently.
We are responsible for managing the information that we hold and we recognise that this information is important to you. We take our responsibilities seriously and use personal information fairly, correctly and safely in line with the UK’s data protection laws.
Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal obligation to do the same and will have a set of data protection clauses included in any contract with us.
Where we need to share sensitive or confidential information, we will do so only with your consent, or where we are legally able to do so.
Why we need to collect information about you
We collect and process various categories of personal information at the start of, and for the duration of your relationship with us. We will limit the collection and processing of information to what is necessary to achieve one or more legitimate purposes as identified in this notice.
We will use your personal information for a limited number of purposes and always in line with our responsibilities, and where reasonable your wishes, where there is a legal basis to use your personal information and in relation to your rights.
We process personal information:
We may not be able to provide you with a service if we do not have enough information and, in some instances, your consent to use that information.
We aim to keep your information accurate and up to date. You can help us to do this by letting us know if any of the information you have given us, such as your address changes. Our contact details can be found later in this document.
Schedule A, below explains the lawful basis we process your information.
Ways in which we collect your information
Face to Face.
We may keep a record of your visit to us to assist us in the delivery and improvement of the services that we provide to you and to others. Any such records that include personal information will be kept securely.
Telephone calls.
Ordinarily we will inform you if we record or monitor any telephone calls you make to us. We may do this to increase your security; so that we have a record of a call taking place and/or for training and quality purposes.
Emails.
If you email us, we may keep your email as record that you have made contact. This includes your email address. We will not include any personal or otherwise confidential information in any email we send to you unless it is sent securely or you have agreed to us contacting you with this information. We would also recommend that you keep the amount of personal or confidential information you send to us via email to a minimum.
Online
What we will do with your information
When deciding what personal information to collect, use and hold, we are committed to making sure that we:
We may disclose personal information to a third party, but only where it is required by law, where that third party needs that information to provide you with a service on our behalf or where it is otherwise allowed under the Data Protection Act. We will strive to make sure that the third party has sufficiently robust system and procedures in place to protect your personal information.
How long we will hold your information
By providing you with a service, we create records that contain information. We manage our records to help us provide a service to you. The retention periods we will hold records are determined based on the type of record, the nature of the activity, product or service. We will not retain records for any longer than necessary, or as required by law.
When we dispose of personal information, we will do so in a secure way.
Who we may share your information with
We will not share your information with anyone outside of the West Midlands Combined Authority except:
a) Where we have your permission
b) Where required for the service we are providing you
c) Where we are required by law and by law enforcement agencies, juridical bodies, government, tax authorities or other regulatory bodies,
d) With third parties, external partners, and agencies assisting us in delivering our service to you.
e) With external partners to improve, and advance, the service we provide to you
Information will only be shared where it is necessary, and permitted under the Data Protection Act. Any information shared will be proportionate and limited only to what is necessary.
WMCA will ensure that the third party, external partner, or agency have sufficient systems and procedures in place to prevent the loss or misuse of personal information. Sharing will only take place under strict contractual agreements and/or sharing agreements.
Transferring information overseas
If you’re personal information is transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA) for processing or storage purposes WMCA will ensure that safeguards are in place to protect it to the same standard we apply. We will ensure that any transfer only takes place if:
a) The European Commission has decided that the country or the organisation we are sharing your information with will protect your information adequately
b) The transfer has been authorised by the relevant data protection authority; and/or
c) We have entered into a contract with the organisation with which we are sharing (on terms approved by the European Commission), to ensure your information is adequately protected.
Communications about our service
We will contact you with information relevant to the service we are providing you. By a variety of means including via email, text message, post and/or telephone.
We may monitor or record calls, emails, text messages, or other communications in accordance with applicable laws.
Your rights
Under the Data Protection Act, you as the Data Subject, have the following rights. Each request will be reviewed and actioned wherever possible. However, you should be aware that, due to the reasons that WMCA may be processing your information we may not be able to comply with some requests due to legal obligations. You have the right to:
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Rights |
Description |
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Access – You have a right to get access to the personal information we hold about you
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If you would like a copy of the personal information we hold about you please contact us at: · Email: Information.officer@wmca.org.uk · Telephone: Switchboard – 0121 200 2787; Main Contact Centre – 0345 303 67 60 · Address: Data Protection Officer, 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD |
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Rectification – You have a right to rectification of inaccurate personal information and to update incomplete personal information |
If you believe that any of the information that we hold about you is inaccurate, you have a right to request that we restrict the processing of that information and to rectify the inaccurate personal information. Please note that if you request us to restrict processing your information, we may have to suspend the services we provide to you |
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Erasure – You have a right to request that we delete your personal information. |
You may request that we delete your personal information if you believe that: · we no longer need to process your information for the purposes for which it was provided; · we have requested your permission to process your personal information and you wish to withdraw your consent; or · we are not using your information in a lawful manner. Please note that if you request us to restrict processing your information, we may have to suspend the services we provide to you |
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Restriction – You have a right to request us to restrict the processing of your personal information |
You may request us to restrict processing your personal information if you believe that: · any of the information that we hold about you is inaccurate; · we no longer need to process your information for the purposes for which it was provided, but you require the information to establish, exercise or defend legal claims; or · we are not using your information in a lawful manner. Please note that if you request us to restrict processing your information, we may have to suspend the services we provide to you. |
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Portability – You have a right to data portability |
Where we have requested your permission to process your personal information or you have provided us with information for the purposes of entering into a contract with us, you have a right to receive the personal information you provided to us in a portable format. |
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Objection – You have a right to object to the processing of your personal information. |
You have a right to object to us processing your personal information (and to request us to restrict processing) unless we can demonstrate compelling and legitimate grounds for the processing, which may override your own interests, or where we need to process your information to investigate and protect us or others from legal claims. Please note that if you request us to restrict processing your information, we may have to suspend the services we provide to you |
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Withdraw consent – You have a right to withdraw your consent |
Where we rely on your permission to process your personal information, you have a right to withdraw your consent at any time. We will always make it clear where we need your permission to undertake specific processing activities |
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Lodge complaints – You have a right to lodge a complaint with the regulator. |
If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal information, you can contact our Data Protection Officer who will investigate the matter. We hope that we can address any concerns you may have, but if you remain unhappy you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). For more information, visit: ico.org.uk |
Using personal information for marketing
We will only send you information about our services if you have asked us to do so or, based on the information we hold, and those services are considered of benefit to you. Your information may also be shared with other service providers who may contact you if they provide services to help you. You can opt out of this at any time by letting us know.
On our websites, you have the option to submit your email details to join our Marketing Database. We may ask you for additional details to help tailor your experience. These details are submitted and controlled by you at all times.
Details held for Marketing and Information Updates will be used for sending you relevant information. You have the ability to update your details at any time or unsubscribe from receiving our emails by clicking the preference centre or unsubscribe link placed at the bottom of our emails. Alternatively you may contact us at customerservices@twfm.org.uk to request removal.
We will hold your details on our Marketing Database until you unsubscribe from our Database. If you do not open emails for longer than 6 – 12 months we will remove your details automatically.
No details given for marketing purposes will be shared with third parties.
We may from time to time send you information from our partners if we feel it is relevant to you.
Competitions run in conjunction with our partners may have explicit terms and conditions around data sharing. These will be highlighted to you when you enter the competition.
Use of CCTV
We have installed CCTV systems and Body Worn Video in some of our locations for the purpose of staff and public safety and the prevention and detection of crime. Signs are prominently displayed notifying you that CCTV is in operation and providing you with details of who to contact for further information about them.
We will only disclose CCTV images to third parties for the purposes as stated above of public safety and the prevention and detection of crime. CCTV images will not be released to the media for entertainment purposes or placed on the internet.
You have the right to see CCTV images of yourself and if appropriate provided with a copy.
Prevention and detection of fraud
WMCA is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. Therefore, we may use any of the information you provide to us for the prevention and detection of fraud, or to comply with the law.
As well as conducting our own ‘data matching’ exercise, we may also share your information with other public bodies. These include (but are not limited to):
We may also share information with credit reference agencies, service providers or contractors and partner organisations, where the sharing of information is necessary, proportionate and lawful.
Data Matching
The Cabinet Office may require us to participate in the National Fraud Innovative data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found, it indicates that there is an inconsistency which may require further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.
The use of data by the Cabinet Office in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under its powers in Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under data protection legislation.
Further information on the Cabinet Officer’s legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information are provided on the Gov.uk website
How to contact us
For more information about either requesting access, to stop processing of your personal information or to raise a concern please contact us at:
Complaints
If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal information, you can contact our Data Protection Officer who will investigate the matter. Contact details are provided above.
We hope that we can address any concerns you may have, but if you remain unhappy you can you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). For more information, visit: ico.org.uk
Equalities Information
We may use information such as your ethnic background, first language, gender, sexual orientation and age gap to gather statistics about the population of the area and the take up of our services. This is to help comply with our legal obligations and to plan the provision of services in the future.
Such analysis will not identify individuals or have impact on entitlement to services and facilities.
Changes to the way we use information
If we change the way we use your information, and we believe you may not reasonably expect such a change we will notify you and will allow a period of time to raise any objections before the change is made. However, please note that in some cases, if you do not agree to such changes it may not be possible for us to continue to operate your account and/or provide our service to you.
Changes to this Privacy Notice
We keep our privacy notice under regular review. This privacy notice was last updated on November 2018.
Schedule A – Schedule of Purposes of Processing
We will only use and share your information where it is necessary for us to carry out our lawful activities. We want to ensure that you fully understand how your information may be used. We have described the legal purposes for which your information may be used in detail below:
A. Contractual necessity
We may process your information where it is necessary to enter into a contract with you for the provision of a services or to perform our obligations under that contract. This may include processing to:
a) assess and process applications for products or services;
b) provide and administer those products and services throughout your relationship with us, including opening, setting up, updating, or closing the service or product; collecting and issuing all necessary documentation; executing your instructions; processing transactions, resolving any queries or discrepancies and administering any changes.
Calls to our Service Centre and online helplines may be recorded and monitored for these purposes;
a) manage and maintain our relationship with you and for ongoing customer service. This may involve sharing your information with our partner organisations to improve the availability of our services;
b) communicate with you about the service or the products and services you receive from us, and
c) undertake any processing necessary to provide, deliver, or improve the service to you
B. Legal obligation
When we provide a product or service (and throughout your relationship with us), we are required by law to collect and process certain personal information about you.
Please note that if you do not agree to provide us with the requested information, it may not be possible for us to continue to provide products and services to you.
C. Legitimate interests of West Midlands Combined Authority
We may process your information where it is in our legitimate interests do so as an organisation, and without prejudicing your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.
a) We may process your information in the day-to-day running of West Midlands Combined Authority, to manage our services and financial affairs and to protect our customers, employees and property. It is in our interests to ensure that our processes and systems operate effectively and that we can continue operating. This may include processing your information to:
i. monitor, maintain and improve internal processes, information and data, technology and communications solutions and services;
ii. ensure business continuity and disaster recovery and responding to information technology and business incidents and emergencies;
iii. ensure network and information security, including monitoring authorised users’ access to our information technology for the purpose of preventing cyber-attacks, unauthorised use of our telecommunications systems and websites, prevention or detection of crime and protection of your personal data;
iv. provide assurance on our material risks and reporting to internal management and supervisory authorities on whether we are managing them effectively;
v. perform general, financial and regulatory accounting and reporting;
vi. protect our legal rights and interests;
vii. manage and monitor (for example through CCTV) for the purpose of crime prevention and prosecution of offenders, for identifying accidents and incidents and emergency situations and for internal training; and
viii. enable a sale, reorganisation, transfer or other transaction relating to West Midlands Combined Authority.
b) It is in our interest as a business to ensure that we provide you with the most appropriate products and services and that we continually develop and improve as an organisation. This may require processing your information to enable us to:
i. identify new business opportunities and to develop enquiries and leads into applications or proposals for new business and to develop our relationship with you;
ii. send you relevant marketing information which we believe may be of interest to you;
iii. understand our customers’ actions, behaviour, preferences, expectations, feedback and relationship history in order to improve our products and services, develop new products and services;
iv. monitor the performance and effectiveness of products and services;
v. assess the quality of our customer services and to provide staff training. Calls to our service centres and communications to our online helplines may be recorded and monitored for these purposes;
vi. perform analysis on customer complaints for the purposes of preventing errors and process failures and rectifying negative impacts on customers;
vii. combine your information with third-party data, such as economic data in order to understand customers’ needs better and improve our services.
viii. We may share information with third parties who help provide our services under strict contractual agreements protecting your personal data.
c) It is in our interest to manage our risk and to determine what products and services we can offer and the terms of those products and services.
D. Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in West Midlands Combined Authority;
We may process your information where:
a) we are exercising an official authority set out in law
b) to perform a specific task the public interest that is set out in law
E.Consent
For some work, we undertake we may only process your information with your consent. If we are processing information with consent, we will ensure you are clearly informed of this, and you have the opportunity to provide clear unambiguous consent.
This notice explains how we use cookies and similar technologies on our websites and mobile applications to help provide you with the best possible online experience
Your online privacy
You can visit our websites without telling us who you are or revealing any information about yourself.
West Midlands Combined Authority and our partners will treat any personal information about you securely, fairly and lawfully. We are committed to protecting your privacy.
When we ask you for personal information online it will only be in response to you actively applying for or using one of our services.
You can find full details of how we use customer information and our full Privacy Policy above.
Cookies - what are they?
A 'cookie' is a small text file that's stored on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device when you visit a website or use an app.
Some of the cookies are necessary for the functionality of the website and they are deleted from your device once you close your browser. These are known as session cookies. Others remain on your device until they expire or you delete them from your cache. These are known as persistent cookies and enable us to remember things about you as a returning visitor.
We use session and persistent cookies to distinguish you from other users. This information helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and it also allows us to improve our website accordingly.
We also use analytical cookies. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around the website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
How to control and delete cookies
If you want to restrict or block the cookies we set, you can do this through your browser settings. The ‘help’ function within your browser should tell you how.
Cookies - how we use them
If you delete cookies relating to this website we will not remember things about you, including your cookie preferences, and you will be treated as a first-time visitor the next time you visit the site.
We use cookies (and other similar technologies) to:
Essential site cookies
These are cookies that are essential for us to provide our service to you and to provide a secure online environment. Without cookies we are unable to provide some products or services that you might request. Other 'essential' cookies keep our website secure. Even if you say “No” to cookies on this website we'll continue to use these 'essential' cookies.
Essential cookies we use include:
ASP.NET_SessionId
This cookie is deleted when you close your browser. Session ID explanation
Performance Cookies: tracking website performance
These cookies collect aggregated information and are not used to identify you.
We use this type of cookie to understand and analyse how visitors use our online services and look for ways to improve them. For example, a cookie might tell us that lots of people give up on an application process at a particular step – so we can try to make that step easier to complete.
The analytics cookies we use include:
Functionality cookies: giving you a better online experience
These cookies remember your preferences and tailor the website to provide enhanced features. Without these cookies, we cannot remember your choices or personalise your online experience.
We use this type of cookie to:
Third party cookies
Please note that during your visits to The West Midlands Combined Authority's websites you may notice some cookies that are not related to The West Midlands Combined Authority or The West Midlands Combined Authority contractors. When you visit a page with content embedded from, for example, YouTube, you may be presented with cookies from these websites. The West Midlands Combined Authority does not control the dissemination of these cookies. You should check the third party websites for more information about these.
The third-party companies we partner with include:
To read more about Terms For Conversion Tracking, Custom Audiences From Your Website, and Custom Audiences From Your Mobile App visit https://www.facebook.com/customaudiences/app/tos/
How to reject cookies
The West Midlands Combined Authority will not use cookies to collect personal identifiable information about you and we recommend that you allow the use of cookies. However, if you wish to restrict or block the cookies which are set on The West Midlands Combined Authority website, or indeed any other website, you can do this through your browser settings. The Help function within your browser should tell you how.
To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
For more information about 'cookies' and how to reject them, please see the Interactive Advertising Bureau's website: http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
Questions regarding our Privacy Policy should be addressed to the Data Protection Officer at The West Midlands Combined Authority, 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham B19 3SD.
The world is facing many environmental challenges including climate change, resource depletion and pollution. As a consequence the Government has set targets to move the UK to a low carbon future and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We believe that we have a shared responsibility to support these global challenges, national aspirations and to help to create a sustainable future in our role as the region’s Combined Authority.
Our environmental strategy is based on the concept of sustainable development and continual improvement. It sets out our objectives and approach to minimising the carbon impact of WMCA operations and our commitment to working with partners to facilitate sustainable public transport growth.
We are in a perfect position to assist with the transformation change needed to strengthen and create opportunities in the region that will meet the needs and aspirations of local communities, our stakeholders and the needs of the environment. This means we are fully committed to action, including a commitment to sustainable travel by our staff, and supporting organisations across the region to implement Travel Plans.
See our Environmental Policy and Environmental Strategy 2014-19
Our Equalities Vision
Our Equality and Diversity Vision is integral to our overall vision of improving the quality of life of everyone who lives and works in the West Midlands and is embedded in our values, strategic aims, policies and day to day activities.
We put equality and diversity at the heart of the business. We value the diversity of our customers, staff, suppliers, partners and all the people we work with and are committed to treating everyone fairly and achieving equal outcomes for all.
We strive to creative a positive working environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and provide services and implement strategies that meet the diverse needs of people in the West Midlands.
We will:
See our Equality Scheme 2017-19 and Equality and Inclusion Review
Learn about Equalities and Inclusion in the WMCA workplace.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) welcomes feedback regarding our work and the services we provide. We use this information to review how we do things and to identify where we can do things better. We work hard to put things right if a problem arises and have set out how we work to resolve any complaints we may receive in this Complaints Handling Procedure.
Section One: Who we are
The WMCA is made up of 18 Local Authorities and 3 Local Enterprise Partnerships working together to build a healthier, happier, better connected and more prosperous West Midlands. Led by the Mayor of the West Midlands, we are working with people, organisations and businesses to transform the region with a focus on housing, skills, transport, local industry and public sector reform. For more information regarding WMCA please visit our website
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is the transport team within WMCA, striving to deliver a world-class integrated transport system which is clean, safe and affordable - connecting people and places within the West Midlands. For more information regarding TfWM please visit our website
Section Two: Purpose and Scope
This Complaints Handling Procedure explains how to make a complaint and what you can expect from us if you do.
This Procedure covers the full scope of WMCA’s activities and its Officers including the work of Transport for West Midlands.
The Mayor of the West Midlands and Members of WMCA Board must abide by a Code of Conduct which governs their behaviour and actions when carrying out their roles and duties as members of WMCA. If you have a complaint that this Code of Conduct has not been followed you should send your complaint directly to WMCA’s Monitoring Officer via the contact details in Section Seven. Any complaints received via this Complaints Handling Procedure that appear to fall under the Code of Conduct will be referred to the Monitoring Officer.
This Procedure does not cover the services provided by third parties for example public transport operators. Please see Section Six: Complaints Relating to Third Parties for further information.
Section Three: What is a complaint?
We aim to provide the best possible experience for people who use our services. We recognise that from time to time things can go wrong or that you may be unhappy about our work, products or services. If this happens you may wish to tell us about this by making a complaint.
Complaints are valuable feedback and an opportunity for us to put things right as well as learn how we can improve our services in the future.
Section Four: Our Aims
If you need to complain, we aim to ensure that:
If you make a complaint, it will not affect your right to receive or use products or services provided by WMCA.
Section Five: What WMCA can investigate
The WMCA can investigate complaints relating to our work, the products and services that we deliver as well as our people. Please also see Section Two: Purpose and Scope and Section Six: Complaints Relating to Third Parties.
You must send us your complaint within 12 months of the date that the issue first occurred. We are unfortunately unable to investigate anything older than this. Complaints can be investigated most easily when reported quickly after an issue occurs. In the case of a complaint about services you have received from us via the telephone, we record and store telephone calls for a maximum of 40 days.
If your complaint relates to the handling of your personal information, your complaint will be considered in line with the arrangements set out in Section Ten: Complaints and your Personal Information.
To avoid disappointment and to save you time, before sending your complaint to WMCA please ensure that you are raising your complaint with the correct organisation. The WMCA has not replaced the role of Local Authorities which remain responsible for delivering the majority of public services within local communities. Your Local Authority is the organisation to which you pay your Council Tax.
Some complaints may need to be investigated under different procedures. If this applies to your complaint or we are unable to investigate it, we will contact you to explain why.
Section Six: Complaints relating to Third Parties
If you make a complaint which relates to a third party supplier, in some cases it may be possible to jointly investigate and provide you with a single response. This may involve sharing information about your complaint with the third party. Please see our Privacy Statement for further information on how we handle your personal data.
If your complaint is more suited for consideration by the third party under their own complaints procedure we will, with your consent, pass on the details directly to the third party.
If your complaint relates to a Training or Education Provider which receives funding through the Adult Education Budget from WMCA, you must make your complaint to the Provider directly in the first instance. The WMCA can only investigate this type of complaint when you have exhausted the Providers own Complaints Procedure, including any right of appeal. Please see additional information regarding Complaints about Adult Education here.
Section Seven: How to make a complaint
You can make a complaint by:
Email: customerservices@wmca.org.uk
Post: Customer Relations, 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD
Phone: 0345 303 6760*
*Telephone lines are open from 0800 to 1800 Monday to Friday (except Wednesday 1000 to 1800) and from 0900 to 1300 on Saturdays. We are closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
To help us with our investigation please include:
If you prefer, you can ask a friend or relative to speak or write to us for you. We will need your consent if you would like someone to act on your behalf. We are also able to offer a telephone interpreting service for non-English speakers on request.
If you have completed Stage One of our Complaints Procedure you can contact WMCA’s Monitoring Officer by:
Email: monitoringofficer@wmca.org.uk
Post: WMCA Monitoring Officer, 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD
Phone: 0121 200 2787
Section Eight: Our Complaints Handling Process
The WMCA can consider your complaint at two formal stages although we aim to resolve any issues informally wherever possible. If at any stage your complaint needs more time than expected to investigate, we will let you know. Our Complaints Handling Process is explained below.
Raise your issue informally
You can raise your issue informally with our Customer Relations Team who will do their best to put things right without you needing to do anything. We aim to resolve issues brought to our attention within 10 working days, however, some investigations may take longer. Customer Relations will keep you informed of progress until your issue is resolved.
Stage 1 - Complaint
If you have spoken to our Customer Relations Team and are unhappy with the response you can complain to our Customer Relations Manager. Please remember to include all of the relevant information and send this to us via the contact details in Section Seven.
Stage 1 - Response
Our Customer Relations Manager will investigate your complaint and respond to you directly within 10 working days of receiving it. If it is not possible to resolve your complaint within this time the Customer Relations Manager will let you know.
Stage 2 - Complaint
If you have received a response to your complaint from our Customer Relations Manager and you are unhappy with the outcome, you may ask for your complaint and the response to be reviewed by WMCA’s Monitoring Officer. You can do this by submitting your request for your complaint to be reviewed within 14 days of receiving the Stage 1 Response. You can submit your request in writing, via post or email to our Monitoring Officer via the contact details in Section Seven.
Stage 2 - Response
WMCA’s Monitoring Officer will appoint an Investigating Officer who has not been involved in your original complaint. The Investigating Officer will investigate your complaint and provide a final response to you directly within 20 working days of receiving it. If it is not possible to resolve your complaint within this time the Investigating Officer will let you know.
Independent Review
You can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman at any time about your complaint via the contact details in Section Nine. However, the Ombudsman usually gives WMCA the opportunity to investigate and respond first.
If you are unable to submit your complaint in writing to us, we can arrange to take details of your complaint over the telephone via the contact number in Section Seven.
Section Nine: What happens if you are still not happy?
You can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman at any time about your complaint. However, the Ombudsman usually gives WMCA the opportunity to investigate and respond first.
Website: www.lgo.org.uk
Post: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, PO Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH
Text: ‘call back’ to 0762 481 1595 Phone: 0300 061 0614*
Section Ten: Complaints and your Personal Information
If you have a query, concern or complaint about the way we are handling your personal information, or about your request for information, please contact our Data Protection Officer at information.officer@wmca.org.uk
We are required to look into complaints about the handling of personal information, and the release of information we hold in line with the requirements of the Information Commissioner’s Office. This type of complaint will not be considered under this procedure.
Section Eleven: Unreasonably Persistent or Vexatious Customer
In a small number of cases it is possible that a complaint may be considered unreasonably persistent and or vexatious in nature. This type of complaint may be managed under a separate Policy which is available upon request. If WMCA applies this Policy to you and your complaint, we will write to you to explain the reasons for the decision.
Request a copy
To request a copy of this document in a format better suited to your needs please contact us on 0345 303 6760.
Or you can download a copy of this as a PDF here.
Section One: Introduction
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is made up of 18 Local Authorities and three Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) working together to build a healthier, happier, better connected and more prosperous West Midlands. Led by the Mayor of the West Midlands, we are working with people, organisations and businesses to transform the region with a focus on housing, skills, transport, local industry and public sector reform. For more information regarding WMCA please visit our website.
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is the transport team within WMCA, striving to deliver a world-class integrated transport system which is clean, safe and affordable - connecting people and places within the West Midlands. For more information regarding TfWM please visit our website.
Section Two: What is a petition?
A petition is a formal written appeal that is typically signed by many people requesting a particular course of action. Petitions received by WMCA will be managed in line with this Protocol.
Section Three: Purpose and Scope
WMCA is committed to engaging with citizens, getting closer to communities and improving services. We welcome petitions as one way in which people can let us know their concerns or ideas. Petitions can be used to communicate an objection, service complaint or request on behalf of a group of people. They can deliver a positive change. For example, residents or service users may request new facilities and in doing so become more involved in securing benefits for their communities.
The purpose of WMCA’s Petitions Protocol is to set out the agreed approach for investigating a petition. It covers the complete work of WMCA including TfWM. Petitions about products and services WMCA provides will be considered in line with this Petitions Protocol unless otherwise stated. This may include services provided by third parties on our behalf.
Submitting a petition, will not affect an individual’s right to receive or use products or services provided by WMCA.
Section Four: What to include in a petition
For the purpose of correspondence relating to a petition, WMCA will communicate with the Lead Petitioner. The Lead Petitioner is usually the person that sends the petition to WMCA, but if this is unknown, the Lead Petitioner will be taken to be the first signatory on the petition document itself.
To help WMCA with the investigation we ask the Lead Petitioner to include:
Section Five: What WMCA can consider
WMCA can investigate petitions relating to our work and the products and services that we deliver. Before sending a petition to WMCA we ask the Lead Petitioner to check they are raising their petition with the correct organisation. WMCA has not replaced the role of Local Authorities which remain responsible for delivering the majority of public services within local communities. The Local Authority is the organisation to which citizens pay their Council Tax. Bus, Metro and rail services are delivered by private operators in the West Midlands.
Petitions will be considered where the:
Petitions will not be considered where:
If you are not sure whether your petition should come to WMCA, please refer to the contact details in Section Seven.
Section Six: Petitions relating to Third Parties
If a petition relates to a third party, in some cases it may be possible for WMCA to work with the third party to jointly investigate it. This may involve sharing information about the petition, petitioners and Lead Petitioner with the third party supplier. Please see our Privacy Statement for further information on how we handle your personal data.
If a petition is more suited for consideration by the third party under their own procedure, WMCA will pass on the details directly to the third party and let the Lead Petitioner know we have done this.
Section Seven: How to submit a petition
A petition can be submitted by:
Email: customerservices@wmca.org.uk
Post: Customer Relations, 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD
If a Lead Petitioner needs to talk to us about their petition they can contact us by:
Phone: 0345 303 6760*
*Telephone lines are open from 0800 to 1800 Monday to Friday (except Wednesday 1000 to 1800) and from 0900 to 1300 on Saturdays. We are closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Section Eight: Our Petitions Process
Our Petitions Process is explained below.
| Step 1 | We will acknowledge receipt of a petition by writing to the Lead Petitioner. An investigation will be carried out which will involve collecting information, exploring options available and in some cases, a site visit. If we need to discuss the petition we will contact the Lead Petitioner. |
| Step 2 | The petition and the findings of the investigation will be considered by a Petitions Panel. The panel will be formed of officers with appropriate specialist knowledge and include a nominated Head of Service and/or Director. The Petitions Panel will make a decision based on the facts presented from the petition itself and the investigation that was carried out. |
| Step 3 | If a petition has 250 or more signatories, the Petitions Panel will recommend its decision for approval by the appropriate Committee of elected Members.* We will let the Lead Petitioner know the time and date of the public meeting at which the petition will be considered. The Lead Petitioner may attend this meeting and speak about the petition. Only the Lead Petitioner will be permitted to address the committee and will be required to confirm their attendance in advance of the meeting. |
* WMCA’s Monitoring Officer will determine the appropriate Committee to formally consider the recommendations of WMCA’s Petitions Panel.
Section Nine: Outcome
For petitions with less than 250 signatories, WMCA will respond to the Lead Petitioner directly within 30 calendar days of receiving it.
For petitions with more than 250 signatories, WMCA will respond to the Lead Petitioner directly within 60 calendar days of receiving it.
If at any stage the petition needs more time than expected to investigate, we will contact the Lead Petitioner to let them know.
There is no formal right of appeal. If a Lead Petitioner is unhappy with the outcome or the way in which WMCA has handled their petition they can refer to our Complaints Handling Procedure. For more information regarding WMCA’s Complaints Handling Procedure please visit our website.
Request a copy
To request a copy of this document in a format better suited to your needs please contact us on 0345 303 6760*
Or you can download a copy of this as a PDF here.
Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms such as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking, all of which have in common the deprivation of a person’s liberty by another in order to exploit them for personal or commercial gain.
As a public sector organisation, West Midlands Combined Authority recognises that we have a corporate responsibility to take a robust approach to slavery and human trafficking. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and we are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all our business dealings and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place anywhere within our own business or supply chains.
We will:
See our full Modern Slavery Policy and Modern Slavery Financial Statement for 2020/21.
At the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) we want to provide:
We know that disabled people sometimes need our help and support to use our services. This can mean that we need to provide something different so you can access and use our services in the same way as a non-disabled person. We often call this a reasonable adjustment.
By listening carefully and responding to what people need, we can make a real difference and help to provide an experience that works for everyone
Our legal duties
The Equality Act 2010 protects the rights of disabled people. This means we have a legal duty to help and support where we can. You will find reasonable adjustments in section 20 of the Act.
Anyone providing goods, facilities or services to the public or carrying out public functions who find that there are barriers to disabled people in the way they do things must consider making adjustments. If those adjustments are reasonable they must be made.
Under the Equality Act, a disabled person is anyone with “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities”.
What are reasonable adjustments?
We’re able to do lots of things that mean that disabled people can use our services independently wherever possible and in a way that is fair, for example:
This list doesn’t include everything we can do to help, and we’ll always talk to you first about what you need.
How to arrange a reasonable adjustment?
Disabilities affect people differently so we won’t always know what will help. If you have a disability that means you can’t access our information and services please get in touch with us. You can request help and support as a reasonable adjustment by phone, email or in writing. We consider each request individually and aim to agree to any adjustments with individuals to avoid us making incorrect assumptions about needs.
To discuss in more detail please contact customer services
Our response to requests
We will try to agree a reasonable adjustment with a minimum of delay. In some cases we may need to consider the request in more detail. There may be circumstances where we decide not to meet the request. The law says that an adjustment only has to be made if it is reasonable. We need to take account of the cost or resource implications, whether the request itself is reasonable and whether there is a more cost-effective way of meeting the request.
Complaints about failure to provide reasonable adjustments
If someone is dissatisfied with our response to their request for reasonable adjustment or with the adjustment provided they can complain to us. We will respond in accordance with our complaints handling procedure